No jade eggs here...

As usual, times are stressful.  I’m seeing more stress in my clients and friends and family, which is not hard data, but is suggestive of a trend.  Here are some ways to disconnect from the stress and feel better:

1.     Smash the heteronormative capitalist white imperialist patriarchy.  It’s good exercise.  If smashing all of it is too much for one day, build a smashing habit and take it on a little at a time.  At the end, we’ll all feel better and have more of a chance to be healthy and happy.

2.     Drink water.  I hesitate to put this on the list because it is one of the markers I use to determine which lists are pulled out of thin air and which have actual evidence behind them; drinking water definitely won’t hurt us and will probably help any number of problems.  In this case, dehydration stresses the body’s immune system by making it more difficult for us to flush out toxins.  Dehydration can also cause headaches and those are definitely stressful.

3.     Take a nap.  We, as a society, have a thing about glorifying how little sleep we get.  We are Important and Busy—sleep is for losers.  Um, no.  Steal fifteen minutes or half an hour to snooze.  I don’t hold with the “because it will make you more productive” line of argument because that’s just pandering to the overlords, but it will definitely make us all feel better.

4.     Wash those hands and then hug somebody.  Consensually, of course.  We are starved for touch in our culture.  Hugging the dog also counts.  We need to connect with other creatures to feel safe and happy.

5.     Help somebody out.  Buy that guy on the corner a cup of coffee.  Help your neighbor bring in her trash cans.  Listen to your parent tell that story for the millionth time.  They get help, we get endorphins.  It’s all good.

Please note that none of these things have to cost money.  There is no program, bath, lotion, bottle of alcohol, or jade egg involved.  We can do this if we just keep breathing.

This is not a scrub brush...

I know that a lot of people are trying to hunker down and spend some quality time in a bathtub full of hand sanitizer, but there are alternatives.  One thing, according to the Mayo Clinic, that helps us resist viral infections, is aerobic exercise.  (The list includes some other good reasons to get moving, too!)

More good news:  there are lots of ways to get some aerobic exercise without going to a crowded, potentially germ-infested class.  People who are still willing to go outside can walk, jog, run, bike, rollerblade, swim, or hike.

If we really don’t want to leave the house, we still can manage.  Kitchen dancing is a thing.  Stair repeats work (bonus points if you carry laundry up and down at the same time!).  And, of course, there are exercise videos on tape, DVD, and that swanky internet thingie.

Bottom line, we could say that sweat kills germs.  Go play.

If only politeness went viral...

The news is full of corona virus, so I’m going to talk about… gym etiquette.  We go to the gym to improve our fitness, not to get sick.

First things first:  if you are sick, stay home.  No one wants your germs.  You don’t even want your germs, so why would anyone else?

Next, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not your hands.  This helps contain the spread of all our little microbes.  It’s also less gross.

Use the provided cleaners to clean the equipment you use.  (My kid recently sent me a photo from his gym that encouraged folks to clean up after themselves.  It included the sentence, “Your mom is not a member here.”  He said I am now not allowed to join his gym, but I don’t think that was the point.)  We all should do this anyway because no one wants to feel our sweat even when the issue isn’t germs.  (While we are wiping down the weights and other equipment, we can make sure to put everything back in the appropriate location—this is good manners and it helps keep everyone safe when the floor is not cluttered with random stuff to trip on.)

We all need to be diligent about washing our hands.

Now:  go get a polite workout in.  It’s good for you.